Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 63143 on Defibrillators, if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to ensure defibrillator manufacturers are encouraged to signpost buyers to register new devices with the Circuit network.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department for Business and Trade is not involved in the management or regulation of defibrillator manufacturers.

The Circuit is the independently operated national automated external defibrillator (AED) database, developed by a partnership of the British Heart Foundation, the National Health Service, the Resuscitation Council UK, and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. The Circuit provides a national database of where defibrillators can be found so that ambulance services can quickly identify the nearest defibrillator.

To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government committed to improving access to AEDs in public spaces and to reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED Fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

Applications to the fund were allocated based on where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the value of financial contributions secured through agreements under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in each of the last five years in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Fylde constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local Planning Authorities are required to publish an annual Infrastructure Funding Statement detailing developer contributions received through section 106 planning obligations or the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Infrastructure Funding Statements for Fylde can be found here.

There is no statutory requirement for a consolidated Infrastructure Funding Statement for England to be published, and one has not been published to date.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the probation service in Lancashire.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Lancashire is part of the North West region of the Probation Service. The North West region has developed a Quality Improvement Plan that prioritises and focuses improvement activity. It includes actions derived from internal audits and reports by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation. Progress is regularly monitored, assured and supported by regional and national, Performance, Assurance and Risk functions.

Data on probation performance are published at regional and national level. Performance statistics for Probation Delivery Units in Lancashire in 2023-24 are shown in the table below:

Note:

1. These data are the aggregated outcomes from the four Probation Delivery Units in Lancashire (PDU Central Lancashire; PDU East Lancashire; PDU North West Lancashire; PDU Blackburn and Darwen).
2. PS04 SL028 Unpaid work stand downs performance is not available at PDU level for this area.
3. PS05 SL031 (Accredited programme starts [targeted]) and PS05 SL033 (Accredited programme completions [targeted]): performance for these measures are not available at PDU level. A number of cases are assigned to an organisational level PDU in the region, and are therefore not reflected in these geographic PDUs. This has been marked by “[x]”.

Outcomes for the North West Region and National probation (including scorecard rating) can be found at: Community Performance Annual, update to March 2024 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure equal access to (a) comprehensive and (b) age-appropriate relationships and sex education across schools in Fylde.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Relationships education is compulsory for all primary school pupils, and relationships and sex education compulsory for all secondary school pupils in England.

The department published revised relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance on 15 July, which sets out a comprehensive and age-appropriate curriculum for all pupils in England. The revised guidance will become statutory on 1 September 2026, replacing the existing guidance which has been in force since 2020. This guidance is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of Tree Preservation Orders in protecting trees of (a) ecological and (b) historical significance.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Tree Preservation Order framework enables the protection of specific trees or woodlands where their removal would have a significant negative impact on the local environment and its enjoyment by the public.

Local planning authorities can make a Tree Preservation Order if it appears to them to be “expedient in the interests of amenity to make provision for the preservation of trees or woodlands in their area”, and in doing this are advised to consider a range of factors including historic value and importance for nature conservation.

An Order makes it an offence to cut down, prune, uproot, wilfully damage, or wilfully destroy a tree covered by that Order without the local planning authority’s written permission. Anyone who contravenes an Order is guilty of an offence and may be fined.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how her Department monitors whether contributions from agreements under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 are spent (a) within agreed timeframes and (b) on the purposes specified in those agreements.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Supporting local planning authorities (LPAs) to attract, retain and develop skilled planners is crucial to ensuring they provide a proactive, efficient planning service for local communities and that new developments are well designed and facilitate local growth.

The government appreciates that planning departments across the country are experiencing challenges with recruitment, retention, and skills gaps and that in many cases these issues are having a negative impact on service delivery.

At the Budget last year, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.

Our manifesto committed us to appointing 300 new planning officers into LPAs. We are on track to meet that commitment through two routes, namely graduate recruitment through the Pathways to Planning scheme run by the Local Government Association and mid-career recruitment through Public Practice.

On 27 February 2025, the government announced funding to support salaries and complement graduate bursaries. Further information can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 27 February 2025 (HCWS480).

On 12 March 2025, the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 were made. These regulations increase planning fees for householder and other applications, with a view to providing much-needed additional resources for hard-pressed LPAs.

More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that LPAs have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.

Lastly, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes provisions that will allow LPAs to set planning fees or charges at a level that reflects the individual costs to the LPA to carry out the function for which it is imposed and to ensure that the income from planning fees or charges is applied towards the delivery of the planning function.

Planning practice guidance on planning obligations makes clear that it may be appropriate in some cases for LPAs to make use of collaborative agreements, skills of officers from other LPAs, or external third-party experts to ensure planning obligations can be agreed quickly and effectively.

The relevant PPG also encourages local planning authorities to use and publish standard forms and templates to assist with the process of agreeing planning obligations.

On 28 May 2025, the government published the Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds (which can be found on gov.uk here) which sought views on a number of specific proposals including standardised S106 templates and the rules relating to suitable off-site provision and/or appropriate financial payment.

Local planning authorities are required to keep a copy of any planning obligation – together with details of any modification or discharge of that obligation – and to make these publicly available on their planning register. In addition, any local planning authority that has received a contribution from development through section 106 planning obligations is legally required to publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement at least annually, which sets out how developer contributions are used to fund local priorities. On 26 June, the Chief Planner wrote to all LPAs reminding them of their statutory duty to publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement where applicable.

Authorities can charge a monitoring fee through section 106 planning obligations, to cover the cost of monitoring and reporting on delivery for the lifetime of that obligation. Authorities must report on monitoring fees in their Infrastructure Funding Statements.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will require local planning authorities to publish (a) agreements under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and (b) related compliance information in (i) standardised and (ii) accessible formats.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Supporting local planning authorities (LPAs) to attract, retain and develop skilled planners is crucial to ensuring they provide a proactive, efficient planning service for local communities and that new developments are well designed and facilitate local growth.

The government appreciates that planning departments across the country are experiencing challenges with recruitment, retention, and skills gaps and that in many cases these issues are having a negative impact on service delivery.

At the Budget last year, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.

Our manifesto committed us to appointing 300 new planning officers into LPAs. We are on track to meet that commitment through two routes, namely graduate recruitment through the Pathways to Planning scheme run by the Local Government Association and mid-career recruitment through Public Practice.

On 27 February 2025, the government announced funding to support salaries and complement graduate bursaries. Further information can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 27 February 2025 (HCWS480).

On 12 March 2025, the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 were made. These regulations increase planning fees for householder and other applications, with a view to providing much-needed additional resources for hard-pressed LPAs.

More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that LPAs have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.

Lastly, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes provisions that will allow LPAs to set planning fees or charges at a level that reflects the individual costs to the LPA to carry out the function for which it is imposed and to ensure that the income from planning fees or charges is applied towards the delivery of the planning function.

Planning practice guidance on planning obligations makes clear that it may be appropriate in some cases for LPAs to make use of collaborative agreements, skills of officers from other LPAs, or external third-party experts to ensure planning obligations can be agreed quickly and effectively.

The relevant PPG also encourages local planning authorities to use and publish standard forms and templates to assist with the process of agreeing planning obligations.

On 28 May 2025, the government published the Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds (which can be found on gov.uk here) which sought views on a number of specific proposals including standardised S106 templates and the rules relating to suitable off-site provision and/or appropriate financial payment.

Local planning authorities are required to keep a copy of any planning obligation – together with details of any modification or discharge of that obligation – and to make these publicly available on their planning register. In addition, any local planning authority that has received a contribution from development through section 106 planning obligations is legally required to publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement at least annually, which sets out how developer contributions are used to fund local priorities. On 26 June, the Chief Planner wrote to all LPAs reminding them of their statutory duty to publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement where applicable.

Authorities can charge a monitoring fee through section 106 planning obligations, to cover the cost of monitoring and reporting on delivery for the lifetime of that obligation. Authorities must report on monitoring fees in their Infrastructure Funding Statements.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local planning authorities have adequate resources to (a) negotiate, (b) monitor and (c) enforce agreements under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Supporting local planning authorities (LPAs) to attract, retain and develop skilled planners is crucial to ensuring they provide a proactive, efficient planning service for local communities and that new developments are well designed and facilitate local growth.

The government appreciates that planning departments across the country are experiencing challenges with recruitment, retention, and skills gaps and that in many cases these issues are having a negative impact on service delivery.

At the Budget last year, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.

Our manifesto committed us to appointing 300 new planning officers into LPAs. We are on track to meet that commitment through two routes, namely graduate recruitment through the Pathways to Planning scheme run by the Local Government Association and mid-career recruitment through Public Practice.

On 27 February 2025, the government announced funding to support salaries and complement graduate bursaries. Further information can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 27 February 2025 (HCWS480).

On 12 March 2025, the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 were made. These regulations increase planning fees for householder and other applications, with a view to providing much-needed additional resources for hard-pressed LPAs.

More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that LPAs have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.

Lastly, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes provisions that will allow LPAs to set planning fees or charges at a level that reflects the individual costs to the LPA to carry out the function for which it is imposed and to ensure that the income from planning fees or charges is applied towards the delivery of the planning function.

Planning practice guidance on planning obligations makes clear that it may be appropriate in some cases for LPAs to make use of collaborative agreements, skills of officers from other LPAs, or external third-party experts to ensure planning obligations can be agreed quickly and effectively.

The relevant PPG also encourages local planning authorities to use and publish standard forms and templates to assist with the process of agreeing planning obligations.

On 28 May 2025, the government published the Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds (which can be found on gov.uk here) which sought views on a number of specific proposals including standardised S106 templates and the rules relating to suitable off-site provision and/or appropriate financial payment.

Local planning authorities are required to keep a copy of any planning obligation – together with details of any modification or discharge of that obligation – and to make these publicly available on their planning register. In addition, any local planning authority that has received a contribution from development through section 106 planning obligations is legally required to publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement at least annually, which sets out how developer contributions are used to fund local priorities. On 26 June, the Chief Planner wrote to all LPAs reminding them of their statutory duty to publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement where applicable.

Authorities can charge a monitoring fee through section 106 planning obligations, to cover the cost of monitoring and reporting on delivery for the lifetime of that obligation. Authorities must report on monitoring fees in their Infrastructure Funding Statements.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of defence infrastructure contracts were awarded to UK-based suppliers in the last financial year.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Of 219 contracts awarded in Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) in financial year 2024-25, 97.72% (214 contracts) were awarded to Suppliers with a UK based address.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help improve access to sport for (a) children and (b) young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the Fylde constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Every child should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Prime Minister recently announced a new School Sport Partnerships approach and a new Enrichment Framework for schools to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. The ongoing independent expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that all children can engage with a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport.

On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will now work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs, including for children and young people, and then set out further plans.

In the last financial year, 2024-25, Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body for community sport, invested £11,750 into the Fylde constituency to improve access to sport and physical activity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the ban on single use vapes on the prevalence of vaping in schools.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The sale of vapes to under 18s is illegal, and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban the sale of all consumer nicotine products to anyone under 18.

Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. The department supports head teachers in taking proportionate and measured steps to ensure good behaviour in schools.

To support schools to do so, the 'Behaviour in schools' guidance supports schools to develop a behaviour policy that will encourage good behaviour and set out the sanctions that will be imposed for misbehaviour, including vaping anywhere in school.

Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include e-cigarettes or vapes. School staff can search pupils for banned items as outlined in the department’s Searching, Screening and Confiscation guidance.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July to Question 65165 on Business: Lancashire, if he will provide the same data for the period between 2020 to 2024.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th July is attached.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made of the resilience of supply chains supporting the construction and maintenance of defence infrastructure.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

MOD uses ‘SCRIPT’; a Supply Chain Resilience Intelligent Performance Tool, designed to map and monitor the resilience of the Defence supply chain. The tool allows the department to assess and assure the resilience of the supply chain on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of regulation of private online providers offering weight loss medications.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has currently made no assessment of the adequacy of the regulation of private online providers offering weight loss medications.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the sustainability of (a) local radio and (b) news services in Lancashire; and what steps she is taking to support them.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Sustainability of local journalism across the country is an area of particular concern for this Government, including local radio and news services in Lancashire. The Government understands the important work that local media does across the UK, including local outlets and radio such as the Lancs Live and Central Radio. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. Our vision is a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, reporting on the issues that matter to communities, reflecting their contributions and perspectives, and helping to foster a self-confident nation in which everyone feels that their contribution is part of an inclusive national story. In terms of support for local community radio, the Government has announced a major uplift in community radio funding, which will help stations in need of support to invest in staff, train volunteers, develop business plans, and reach wider audiences.

We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops, and we recently held a roundtable discussion with local news editors to discuss our planned approach and collaboration with industry on the Strategy. An industry working group has now been set up to consider the issues in more detail and we will announce more in the coming months.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help blind people (a) access and (b) maintain employment in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people and people with health conditions have the opportunity to work and save for as long as they wish and are able to.

Disabled people and people with health conditions including the visually-impaired, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell.

We are committed to supporting disabled people, including those who are blind, get into and thrive in work. In Fylde, our Jobcentre teams work closely with the Local Authority as well as local employers and partners to offer a range of employment opportunities. Our Jobcentres have a range of support available, including Disability Employment Advisors who tailor their support to each customer’s needs and source appropriate provisions to enable customers to boost skills, link with employers or get support with their disability. An example is that the local team link customers with N-Vision (The Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre Society for the Blind), a charity that offers a wide range of support mechanisms for those with sight loss including social activities, residential and community care as well as training for organisations and businesses.

The Department also provides a range of support to help blind and partially sighted individuals access, retain, and thrive in employment. This includes referrals to financial assistance, workplace adaptations, and personalised guidance. Our teams support customers with Access to Work to ensure customers have reasonable adjustment, specialist equipment, support workers and more to ensure that customers have all the necessary tools to get into and maintain work.

It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025.

Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.

Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched last November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. We announced in the recent Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work, backed up by £1.9 billion of new funding by the end of the decade. This support is needed to break down barriers, unlock work and open up opportunity. It will get people off welfare and into work – which we know many believe they could do.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the resilience of the UK supply chain for electric vehicle components.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We regularly keep the resilience of our EV supply chains under review to ensure a strong and viable automotive sector. As part of our plan for growth, we will continue to work with investors to build a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK including through new strategic investments and export support for automotive and battery manufacturing.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support people who have been newly diagnosed with (a) blindness and (b) severe visual impairment in Fylde.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

When someone is newly diagnosed as sight impaired or severely sight impaired, they become eligible for a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI). This can act as referral route to local authorities who, under the Care Act 2014 and Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014, are responsible for ensuring that people with visual impairments in their area access the right care and support. Where individuals do not meet the eligibility threshold, they can get support from their local authorities in making their own arrangements for care services, as set out in the Care Act 2014. In addition, under the Equality Act (2010), local authorities must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.

We are taking steps to update the process by which individuals receive their CVI form, to improve the signposting of patients newly certified as sight impaired or severe sight impaired to local sight loss charities for additional support.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents involving dangerous dogs have been reported in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra does not hold this data. This information may be collected by the NHS, individual police forces or local authorities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department provides to local planning authorities on the installation of air conditioning systems in residential developments in anticipation of more frequent extreme heat events.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is the Building Regulations that ensure new housing is built to mitigate the risk of overheating. This comes through Part O of the regulations, which came into effect in June 2022. In the Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation, which ran from December 2023 – March 2024, government sought views on whether the current overheating standards are appropriate or require amendment. We are reviewing proposals and feedback from the consultation and will publish the Government response in due course.

In terms of the Planning system, the National Planning Policy Framework, which was last revised in December 2024, is clear that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts – including overheating.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to revise building regulations to require (a) passive or (b) mechanical cooling systems in new homes in response to rising summer temperatures.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is the Building Regulations that ensure new housing is built to mitigate the risk of overheating. This comes through Part O of the regulations, which came into effect in June 2022. In the Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation, which ran from December 2023 – March 2024, government sought views on whether the current overheating standards are appropriate or require amendment. We are reviewing proposals and feedback from the consultation and will publish the Government response in due course.

In terms of the Planning system, the National Planning Policy Framework, which was last revised in December 2024, is clear that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts – including overheating.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, if she will require Departments to publish an estimate of the cost of answering a Written Parliamentary Question in cases where disproportionate cost is cited as a reason for not providing a substantive answer.

Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

It is a matter for individual departments to determine how to respond to parliamentary questions from Members. In responding to questions, Ministers should be as open as possible and provide helpful answers to Members.

The Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work), published by my office, sets out guidance for departments in responding to parliamentary questions and the disproportionate cost threshold. There are no plans to change this.

The Guide states that “Where information is being refused on the grounds of disproportionate cost, there should be a presumption that any of the requested information which is readily available should be provided.”

I encourage Hon. Members to raise any specific issues they may have with myself and my office.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to low-income households in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) across the UK to improve home cooling infrastructure in response to rising summer temperatures.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Warm Homes Plan will help people across the country find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes fit for the future. The department is also conducting research to ensure homes are resilient to the future climate by identifying the buildings most vulnerable to extreme heat and appropriate adaptation solutions. This research is informing the development of the Warm Homes Plan which will be published in October.

The department recently consulted on expanding the scope of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to allow air-to-air heat pumps to receive grant funding. The Government Response will be published in due course. Advantages of air-to-air heat pumps include the ability to provide cooling, dehumidification, and air filtration in addition to space heating.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS podiatry services are adequately resourced in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning the majority of health and care services, including podiatry services, in England. ICBs arrange healthcare services to meet the needs of their local population, within available resources, and reduce inequalities in access to, and outcomes from, healthcare services.

The Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB recognises podiatry services as a vulnerable and vital service where challenges, including recruitment and retention, are reflected nationally. In response to this, it has mobilised a centralised system-wide approach looking at the range of services it provides across its integrated care system. This includes baseline review work for services, which includes the Fylde Coast services. The next steps include validating demand capacity data with provider organisations in order to support future service models that support access for our residents.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the (a) cost to the NHS of prescribing weight loss medications and (b) the projected cost savings from reduced obesity-related illness.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Chancellor regularly discusses a wide range of policy issues with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

For medicines to be provided by the NHS they must meet strict cost-effectiveness thresholds set by NICE. For tirzepatide, a weightloss jab, evidence submitted by NHS England to NICE last year suggested a potential cost of £19.4bn for the drug, the patient management and the associated care over the first five years from launch if made available to all eligible patients. The NHS is working with partners, including supplies of medicines for weight management, to develop and evaluate innovative delivery models which may support more efficient implementation

NICE recommended the NHS begin rolling out trizepatide, for people with a BMI of more than 35 and at least one weight-related illness. In total around 220,000 people are expected to benefit in the initial three year roll out period.

The obesity crisis currently costs the NHS an estimated £11.4 billion per year and has significant wider economic and social costs, so tackling this will help to drive long term economic growth.

That is why the 10 year health plan, published on 3rd July 2025, set out Government’s plans for decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our NHS and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.

The Plan sets out a commitment to support people living with obesity, doubling the number of patients able to access the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme and brokering pioneering relationships with the biggest pharmaceutical companies to expand access to weight loss services and treatments across the NHS.

The Plan also committed to fulfilling manifesto commitments to restrict junk food advertising and ban sale of high-caffeine drinks. Additionally it announced new proposals to reduce obesity including for large food businesses to report against standardised metrics on healthier food sales along with new targets to increase the healthiness of sales, and updating the Nutrient Profile Model to bring the current advertising and promotion restrictions up to date and make them more impactful.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with no right to be in the UK were removed between 4 July (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home office published transparency data relating to the return of individuals without lawful status in the UK, on 14 July. This can be found on gov.uk at Returns from the UK between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025 - GOV.UK

The next immigration system statistics quarterly release will be published on 21 August 2025, providing comprehensive statistics on the number of returns from the UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase access to care in the community in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to building a Neighbourhood Health Service that will embody our new preventative principle that care should happen as locally as it can, digitally by default, in a patient’s home if possible, in the community when needed, and only in a hospital if necessary.

Neighbourhood Health Services will bring together teams of professionals closer to people’s homes, including nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, and more, to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community.

In addition, over the course of the plan, our aim is to have one Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one building, to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations.

Moreover, in the future, there will also be neighbourhood health plans drawn up by local government, the NHS, and its partners. The integrated care board will bring together these plans into a population health improvement plan for their footprint, which they will use to inform commissioning decisions.

We will transform access to primary and community care services, including general practice, NHS dentistry, and community pharmacy, and provide more urgent care and outpatient appointments in the community, to ensure better value for money and to reduce unnecessary attendances and stays in hospital.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle pavement parking in Fylde constituency.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Flyde constituency is a civil enforcement area and therefore pavement parking is a civil matter for Department for Transport (DfT) and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) across England are equipped with adequate (i) cooling and (ii) ventilation systems to protect (A) pupils and (B) staff during heatwaves.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The responsible body (which may be a local authority, academy trust, or voluntary-aided body) must ensure the health, safety and welfare of pupils and staff, including during hot weather. The department supports this through guidance and resources, including the Education Hub, which published hot weather advice on 16 June 2025.

The department also provides emergency planning guidance for education and childcare settings, covering extreme heat. The UK Health Security Agency offers additional advice for schools and early years settings on managing heat-related health risks.

To improve indoor air quality, the department distributed CO₂ monitors to all teaching spaces in England in 2021/2023. Settings with high readings could apply for air cleaning units. Over 9,000 were provided to more than 1,300 settings.

Annual capital funding is also allocated to improve school buildings, including ventilation and sustainability measures.

All guidance applies across England.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what security measures are in place to vet contractors and suppliers involved in sensitive defence infrastructure projects.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Defence has a range of mandatory physical, personnel and cyber security controls that are applied to contractor personnel, facilities and systems. These are all scalable to the sensitivity of projects being worked on and the classification of information being processed. If there is a particular risk the hon. Member is concerned about, I would be grateful if he could write to me about it.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on increasing funding for the resilience of defence infrastructure supply chains.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Following Spending Review 2025 further detail on how the Ministry of Defence will spend its budget will be set out in the Defence Investment Plan, which is also scheduled to complete in the Autumn.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the capacity of the electricity grid to meet projected demand from increased uptake of electric vehicles by 2030.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is working closely with Ofgem to ensure that its price control framework supports the necessary investment in the electricity network to deliver our clean energy superpower and growth missions. This includes ensuring that the distribution network has sufficient capacity to meet projected demand from electric vehicles by 2030.

The current price control, RIIO-ED2 (2023–2028), enables forward-looking investment aligned with net zero goals and incorporates uncertainty mechanisms to allow networks to respond flexibly to rising demand. The next price control, RIIO-ED3 (2028–2033), will be informed by Regional Energy Strategic Plans to support more strategic and coordinated investment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of drop-outs from vocational courses in Fylde constituency; and what steps she is taking to help improve course completion rates.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department's guidance on qualification achievement rates (QARs) includes official statistics on levels of achievement for a range of qualifications, including vocational learning. QARs are not published by parliamentary constituency, but full-year data for adult (19+) further education and skills in Fylde shows that there were 2,100 learner achievements in 2023/24, up from 1,810 in 2022/23. This does not split down by vocational courses. The data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/introduction-to-qualification-achievement-rates-qars.

Nationally, we have seen that retention rates are improving. QARs within the 19+ education and training cohort have increased from 86.8% in 2022/23 to 87.4% in 2023/24.

​At ages 16 to 18, the retained and assessed rate for students who finished their T Level across 16 subjects in summer 2024 was up 5 percentage points from the previous year, over 10 subjects. The rate for large Vocational Technical Qualifications (VTQs) was up 3 percentage points.The statistics can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/provisional-t-level-results/2023-24.

​The department continues to develop and improve qualifications to ensure that they meet the needs of learners. Newly reformed qualifications will become available for delivery at levels 2 and 3 at the start of the next academic year. These are high-quality, aligned to occupational standards in technical routes, and offer clear routes to higher education or skilled employment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's policy paper Giving every child the best start in life strategy, published on 7 July 2025, whether each local authority is required to publish a Best Start Local Plan; how those plans will be monitored centrally; and what the enforcement mechanisms will be if a local authority fails to meet its commitments.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

On 7 July, the government’s landmark strategy ’Giving every child the best start in life’ set out that we will spend close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education.

Local authorities will be tasked with developing ambitious Best Start local plans to achieve the Plan for Change milestone of 75% of 5 year-olds achieving a good level of development by 2028, working in partnership with government. These plans should build on local authorities’ existing strategic planning materials, such as children and young people plans. They can also build on local innovation already in place as part of the government's test, learn and grow agenda, with projects to improve the uptake of family services in Manchester and Sheffield already showing the value of this approach.

We are discussing with local authority representatives how best to implement the commitments set out in ‘Giving every child the best start in life’. Further information will be communicated to local authorities soon.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Giving every child the best start in life, published on 7 July 2025, how many best start family hubs are planned to be operational by April 2026.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

On 7 July 2025, the government published ‘Giving every child the Best Start in Life’. This outlines the government’s commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

The department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service over the 2026/29 spending review period. Up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs will be rolled out following additional investment. Local authorities not currently funded through family hubs will receive development grants in 2025/26 to ensure national rollout from April 2026.

We are working within the department and with the Department of Health and Social Care to share further information about what the spending review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of (a) trends in the population levels of horseflies in the UK and (b) the impact of these levels on (i) rural communities and (ii) livestock.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) does not do any systematic surveillance on horseflies in the UK or the impact they have and is not aware of any organisation that does.

Horseflies are mainly considered a biting nuisance rather than a biological vector of disease such as mosquitoes and ticks.

Defra has recently funded the Vector Borne Diseases Group at APHA to investigate potential arthropod vectors of disease such as horseflies with the Pirbright Institute that will involve field sampling so that we can start to address these questions as awareness of the threat of arthropod vectors increases.

All livestock are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation with the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Farmers have a duty to care for the animals they keep which includes protecting them from pain, injury, suffering and disease, which includes taking appropriate precautions to prevent their animals from being irritated by flies during procedures such as ear-tagging. Suppliers of ear tags must provide instructions on insertion and best tagging practice.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has considered creating a national register of trees with legal protection status.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 35438 on 12 March 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the development of the second-hand electric vehicle market.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises the importance of the used vehicle market to our country’s transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) and closely monitors its growth. We are confident that consumer interest will continue to increase as more used ZEV models approach price parity with their petrol and diesel equivalents.

We already have various financial incentives to stimulate the new ZEV market and increase the supply of these vehicles feeding through to the second-hand market. Additionally, the ZEV Mandate requires manufacturers to provide a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles on EV batteries and provide a replacement battery if capacity falls below 70% in that period, increasing consumer confidence.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of fiscal incentives for the uptake of electric vehicles.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Plug-in Vehicle Grants have been a key driver of zero emission vehicle (ZEV) uptake since they were introduced in 2011. Grants remain available for vans, trucks and wheelchair accessible vehicles. Favourable tax rates, including the lowest first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty and preferential Benefit in Kind rates, have likewise been a key driver of ZEV adoption.

The recently announced Electric Car Grant will further encourage purchases of low cost zero emission cars by providing discounts of up to £3,750.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to the public and healthcare providers on the treatment and prevention of horsefly bites.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service provides advice on insect bites, including those from horseflies, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insect-bites-and-stings/

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the government is taking to reduce gambling harm in Lancashire.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Those experiencing gambling-related harm in England can access specialist treatment through specialist NHS Gambling Clinics available in every region of the country, including the Northern Gambling Service. There is also a range of support through the National Gambling Support Network.

The Government has introduced a statutory levy on gambling operators to improve and expand the research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms. The levy will raise around £100 million in funding to deliver priority projects and services across research, prevention and treatment, which together we hope will reduce gambling-related harms across Great Britain. The statutory gambling levy is now in force, and funding will start flowing later this year.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to coordinate cross-departmental efforts to secure defence infrastructure supply chains.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office works closely with the Ministry of Defence to track and monitor risks to national security supply chains. The forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will set out the government's approach to defence supply chain security and resilience.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the prevalence of estate agents who do not disclose commission payments received from the (a) mortgage advisors and (b) building societies they recommend.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is unacceptable for estate agents to withhold referral fee information from customers before they decide whether to commission services from the agent's recommended supplier.

Agents who fail to disclose such fees may face sanctions and it is essential that any misconduct related to referral fee transparency is reported.

The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents. We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to require estate agents to disclose commission payments when recommending (a) building societies and (b) mortgage advisors to prospective purchasers.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is unacceptable for estate agents to withhold referral fee information from customers before they decide whether to commission services from the agent's recommended supplier.

Agents who fail to disclose such fees may face sanctions and it is essential that any misconduct related to referral fee transparency is reported.

The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents. We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress she has made in recruiting 6500 new teachers.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools, and in our colleges, over the course of this Parliament.

We have made significant progress on this pledge. The workforce has grown by 2,346 full time employed staff in secondary and special schools between 2023/24 and 2024/25 and our future school teacher pipeline is also growing. As of June 2025, there are 12% more trainees who have accepted offers to train as secondary teachers, and in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, acceptances are up 25% compared to last year.

The recent spending review will further support delivery of this key pledge, providing an above-inflation increase to our core schools budget of £4.2 billion additional funding by 2028/29, and a substantial investment in skills, with over £1 billion of additional funding by 2028/29.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce waiting times for patients eligible for NHS-prescribed weight loss medications.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The medicines liraglutide, under various brand names, semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, and tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, are already being made available for managing obesity for some patients attending National Health Service specialist weight management services, depending on factors like local pathways and clinical eligibility.

From 23 June, the newest obesity medicine, tirzepatide, started to become available in primary care, meaning it can be prescribed by general practitioners, or other competent prescribers. Approximately 220,000 people could receive tirzepatide over the first three years of NHS rollout. Access will be prioritised based on clinical need.

To support equitable access across the NHS in England and to help integrated care boards (ICBs) to fulfil their duty to make the medication tirzepatide available to eligible patients for treating obesity, NHS England has provided funding to ICBs, based on each area’s estimated population of people living with obesity. It has also provided guidance to ICBs and is continuing to work with them to implement the phased rollout of tirzepatide, as well as other weight loss medications where appropriate.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence will review progress at three years. Rollout will be sped up if possible, and the NHS is developing and testing new models of care to support this.

As we set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to expanding access to weight loss medications through the NHS to ensure that people are able to access them based on clinical need, rather than ability to pay. We will build on the current plans by establishing pioneering relationships with industry and local health systems to test further innovative models of delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients effectively and safely. Additionally, we will explore a range of innovative commercial models that aim to increase patient access, whilst ensuring improved health outcomes and value for money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to weight loss drugs across NHS trusts.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The medicines liraglutide, under various brand names, semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, and tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, are already being made available for managing obesity for some patients attending National Health Service specialist weight management services, depending on factors like local pathways and clinical eligibility.

From 23 June, the newest obesity medicine, tirzepatide, started to become available in primary care, meaning it can be prescribed by general practitioners, or other competent prescribers. Approximately 220,000 people could receive tirzepatide over the first three years of NHS rollout. Access will be prioritised based on clinical need.

To support equitable access across the NHS in England and to help integrated care boards (ICBs) to fulfil their duty to make the medication tirzepatide available to eligible patients for treating obesity, NHS England has provided funding to ICBs, based on each area’s estimated population of people living with obesity. It has also provided guidance to ICBs and is continuing to work with them to implement the phased rollout of tirzepatide, as well as other weight loss medications where appropriate.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence will review progress at three years. Rollout will be sped up if possible, and the NHS is developing and testing new models of care to support this.

As we set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to expanding access to weight loss medications through the NHS to ensure that people are able to access them based on clinical need, rather than ability to pay. We will build on the current plans by establishing pioneering relationships with industry and local health systems to test further innovative models of delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients effectively and safely. Additionally, we will explore a range of innovative commercial models that aim to increase patient access, whilst ensuring improved health outcomes and value for money.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of treatment pathways for sepsis patients in emergency departments.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and the signs and symptoms can vary hugely. As a result, sepsis can be challenging to diagnose early. It is therefore critical that all acutely unwell patients are treated promptly and appropriately regardless of cause.

Screening, diagnosis, and treatment of suspected sepsis is supported in National Health Service hospitals, including emergency departments, through the use of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2). NEWS2 is a clinical screening tool that supports healthcare professionals to recognise acutely unwell adults at risk of deterioration, including those with sepsis. NEWS2 supports clinicians to determine the need for immediate care and is used in 99% of acute NHS trusts and 100% of ambulance trusts in England. Several trusts have also implemented the National Paediatric Early Warning Score to support the recognition of sepsis in children.

To further aid clinical staff in diagnosing sepsis early, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence published updated national guidance in March 2024 on sepsis recognition, diagnosis, and early management, which staff can access alongside NHS England’s online sepsis training programmes. Additionally, the Department continues to fund research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, to improve our understanding of sepsis diagnosis and immediate management.

Treatment of sepsis in NHS hospitals relies on effective antibiotics. The Government is committed to delivering the United Kingdom’s 2024 to 2029 national action plan to confront antimicrobial resistance, to ensure that antibiotics keep working for patients with sepsis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis of sepsis in NHS hospitals.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and the signs and symptoms can vary hugely. As a result, sepsis can be challenging to diagnose early. It is therefore critical that all acutely unwell patients are treated promptly and appropriately regardless of cause.

Screening, diagnosis, and treatment of suspected sepsis is supported in National Health Service hospitals, including emergency departments, through the use of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2). NEWS2 is a clinical screening tool that supports healthcare professionals to recognise acutely unwell adults at risk of deterioration, including those with sepsis. NEWS2 supports clinicians to determine the need for immediate care and is used in 99% of acute NHS trusts and 100% of ambulance trusts in England. Several trusts have also implemented the National Paediatric Early Warning Score to support the recognition of sepsis in children.

To further aid clinical staff in diagnosing sepsis early, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence published updated national guidance in March 2024 on sepsis recognition, diagnosis, and early management, which staff can access alongside NHS England’s online sepsis training programmes. Additionally, the Department continues to fund research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, to improve our understanding of sepsis diagnosis and immediate management.

Treatment of sepsis in NHS hospitals relies on effective antibiotics. The Government is committed to delivering the United Kingdom’s 2024 to 2029 national action plan to confront antimicrobial resistance, to ensure that antibiotics keep working for patients with sepsis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support research into antimicrobial resistance in relation to sepsis treatment.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Over the past five years, the NIHR has allocated over £6 million in programme funding to support research into antimicrobial resistance in relation to sepsis treatment. The funded research studies multiple aspects of sepsis treatment, including optimising treatment for sepsis and investigating the impact of antibiotics in patients with sepsis.

The Department also funds sepsis research through investment in NIHR infrastructure. For example, NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) support translational research, to move scientific discoveries toward patient benefit. The NIHR Sheffield BRC is conducting research to better understand how different blood components contribute to the development of sepsis, to improve patient outcomes and identify potential targets for new sepsis treatments.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including into antimicrobial resistance in relation to sepsis treatment. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. The NIHR supports translational and applied research, working closely with the life sciences industry, medical research charities, and UK Research and Innovation.